


Take Over the Kun

by Heregoe5nothing



Category: NCT (Band), WAYV
Genre: ? If you can call it that, Alternate Universe - College/University, College Students NCT, Dream Sex, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Light Angst, M/M, Mentioned WayV Ensemble, Mutual Pining, Smut, Teacher-Student Relationship, Wet Dream, Winter, Winter boys, xiaokun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-05
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-01-23 09:01:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 17,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21317569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heregoe5nothing/pseuds/Heregoe5nothing
Summary: From: Qian, K.Subject: Class TodayDear Class,Despite my best efforts at willing the weather gods to work in our favor, these clouds don’t seem to be letting up. I was looking forward to today’s lab session, but we can’t have an astronomy class if we can’t see the sky! Get some rest and we’ll check back in next week.Best,Kun--As the weather turns cooler, Xiaojun is not proud to admit he's excited to go back to class. Specifically, one class. The class with the cute TA. The cute TA who refuses to look him in the eye.
Relationships: Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Wong Kun Hang | Hendery, Qian Kun/Xiao De Jun | Xiao Jun
Comments: 81
Kudos: 213





	1. Chapter 1

Xiaojun sat in the far left of the classroom, absentmindedly twirling the small stud in his nose while he watched tiny flakes drift toward the ground outside. Below the window, students marched across the sidewalk, avoiding the patches of ice that were beginning to form and wrapping their scarves and hoodies tighter around their bodies. He let his eyes follow one figure in particular, a long grey peacoat and tasteful knit scarf standing in stark contrast against the haphazardly thrown together outfits of the others who were clearly not prepared for the first snowfall of the year. Xiaojun watched the figure move dextrously through the crowd, expertly avoiding all of the slippery patches and hidden puddles others seemed not to notice, all while rapidly typing something on their phone. He continued to follow the figure as they suddenly froze in place, clutching a leather messenger bag to their chest as a gust of wind threatened to topple the crowd in one blow. The figure shook their head, dark auburn hair shifting out of place suddenly, and looked up at the sky in frustration. 

Xiaojun had to stop his jaw from dropping.  _ Stunning.  _ Dark eyebrows framed honey-colored eyes that seemed to glow like embers as he stared at the clouds, a look of challenge on his face. Flushed cheeks from the wind supported an elegant nose and made way for pursed lips, somehow supporting the stranger’s notion that if he just stared at the clouds hard enough, the snow might stop falling. Apparently giving up that notion, the man turned his face back down and furiously typed a message before stuffing his phone in his pocket and turning on his heel. Xiaojun fought back a sigh of dismay at the man’s departure but was shaken out of his reverie by a sharp jab in his side. “Ouch!” He hissed at the boy sitting next to him. 

“Sorry, but you were being too obvious,” Hendery said under his breath, smirk revealing that he was not at all sorry. Xiaojun rolled his eyes and pulled his own phone of his jeans pocket, glancing at the missed messages under his desk. A text from Yangyang, asking when he was free for lunch today, a missed call from his mom, and an email from the TA of his astronomy class. Xiaojun sat up a bit straighter, nodded a few times at the professor in the front of the room to pretend he was listening, and opened the email.

\--  
  
From: Qian, K. 

Subject: Class Today

Dear Class,

Despite my best efforts at willing the weather gods to work in our favor, these clouds don’t seem to be letting up. I was looking forward to today’s lab session, but we can’t have an astronomy class if we can’t see the sky! Get some rest and we’ll check back in next week. 

Best, 

Kun 

\--

Xiaojun let out a soft exhale as he finished reading the message. As lame as it sounded, he was looking forward to his astronomy lab section today. The first half of the class had been entirely online, learning the terms and formulas and other tools considered necessary for naming stars, apparently. While he had originally found the class dull and the online format hard to focus on, he soon found himself more engaged than he had ever expected. While the prerecorded lectures from his professor were boring and seemed as though they hadn’t been updated in years, the online discussion boards were run by the course’s TA, Kun. He insisted they called him that after the first time someone emailed him with the greeting “Dear Mr. Qian,” and his ability to explain topics they were stuck on without making anyone feel ridiculous for asking a question was unparalleled. Xiaojun had started sending Kun messages outside of the delineated discussion board time, starting his emails with “I’m sorry to bother you,” before diving into a complex topic he was ashamed to say he found extremely interesting. Kun always responded within a few hours, explaining the concept in his own, easy-to-grasp way, and ending the email with “never apologize for curiosity.” And so their semi-friendship had begun. Xiaojun was excited for class today because he wanted to actually put some of the concepts they had discussed into practice, but also because he knew that labs were led by Kun, and he was excited to see how much more they could cover with his teaching style instead. 

He looked up again to see his professor erasing the whiteboard and glanced toward Hendery, who was already packing up his bag and looking at Xiaojun like he had lost it.

“Dude where were you today? You were in your own little world.” Xiaojun punched his shoulder lightly. 

“Shut up, it’s just cold. Let’s go get coffee.”

The coffee shop on campus was one of Xiaojun’s favorite places in the world. It was one of the only spaces left that hadn’t been overrun by the ‘chic minimalism’ trend that swept through their sleepy college town, turning every local shop into a metallic, eerily silent workspace for students to huddle silently around their laptops, eyeing each other over who was next to acquire the much-needed wall outlet. Because this shop was technically part of a historical landmark, no one had been able to force the owner to set up free wifi, endless outlets, or play anything other than jazz. Once Xiaojun had heard Adele rolling smoothly out of the shop’s old wall-mounted speakers and almost had a heart attack until he noticed the owner’s daughter was working the counter that day. 

Today the shop was characteristically empty, save for a few stragglers, many of the newer students opting to visit the Starbucks inside the student union instead. Xiaojun smiled as Hendery tugged him inside the coffee shop, warm lamplight quickly heating the frigid cold that had already seemed to reach into their core. As the men delayered, Xiaojun scanned the small room for a place to sit. To his dismay, their usual spot, two lumpy armchairs catty-corner to both the window and a small fireplace, was taken by another pair of men. He eyed the older of the pair, vague recognition crossing his features as he tried to place him. Dark hair with bold streaks of grey framed thin, wireframe glasses. Definitely the professor type. When he spoke, Xiaojun realized the connection immediately. No one could miss the practiced drone of his astronomy professor's voice. Xiaojun must have recognized him from the video lectures he had been absentmindedly watching all semester. He was physically pulled out of focus by Hendery, who tugged him toward the counter and gestured to the owner of the coffee shop waiting to take his order. 

"And you'll have the-" his best friend began before both the shop owner and Xiaojun completed his sentence for him simultaneously. 

"A cafe au lait with a dash of cinnamon." The owner smiled fondly at Xiaojun as Hendery rolled his eyes behind him. "Anything for my favorite customer."

Hendery huffed and headed toward the couch on the opposite side of the shop while Xiaojun paid for their drinks. He picked up his coffee and placed it on the side counter, discreetly pouring what was definitely an unhealthy amount of sugar into his drink. While he loved this coffee shop, he refused to drink the bitter beverage without some kind of assistance. Glancing toward where Hendery was sitting, he placed the sugar jar back down without looking. 

"Thanks." A soft voice said from beside him as fingers brushed against his, grabbing the glass jar from his grip before he could drop it in surprise. Xiaojun whipped his head to look at the stranger who had just touched him without permission and immediately noticed a few things. 

  1. The stranger had the decency to look just as embarrassed as Xiaojun felt.
  2. It was the same man he had eyed on the icy sidewalk during class earlier.
  3. He was even more flawless up close.

Xiaojun felt more than heard the light gasp that left his lips. The man in front of him had removed his long jacket and instead had on a soft white turtleneck, amber eyes softened to look like honey in the warm light of the coffee shop. Xiaojun stared at the stranger for what felt like forever as his face got pinker under his gaze.  _ Cute.  _ Before he could do anything stupid, Xiaojun spun back on his heels and let out a barely audible "No problem" before practically sprinting over to where Hendery was looking at him quizzically once more. He pretended to listen as his friend launched into a story of what he did over fall break, and didn't exhale until he heard the faint ring of the bell above the coffee shop's door. Glancing behind him, Xiaojun saw the auburn swath of hair trail slightly behind a familiar head of dark with prominent grey streaks.  _ He must be a professor.  _ Xiaojun rolled the idea around in his mind before finally turning his attention back to the boy sitting next to him on the couch. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that he knew that man from somewhere, and wanted to get to know him more.


	2. Chapter 2

_Dark_. Xiaojun tried to open his eyes, but found that even as he did, the darkness didn't subside. He assessed his surroundings. _Warm_. He was lying on something soft, comfortable, and sleep-inducing. Shirtless, he could feel every inch of the plush fabric beneath him. Was he on a bed? How did he get here? Xiaojun couldn't remember anything between leaving the coffee shop and where he was now. Experimentally, he tried moving his feet, and was oddly unsurprised to find them bounded to something below him. His hands were left free, and he reached them up to find the edges of the blindfold blocking his vision. 

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you."  _ Warm.  _ The voice sounded like molten chocolate as it filled around his senses. Weight shifted on the cushions and suddenly there was a light breath brushing the side of Xiaojun's face. "Are you going to be good, baby boy?" 

_ Baby what?! _

Xiaojun was nobody's baby. And he certainly wasn't a "good boy". Then why could he feel his cheeks heating up at that comment? He lashed his arms out lightly, thankful for their freedom. He searched for shoulders to shove off of his torso, but was caught of guard when his wrist was grabbed. The now owner of Xiaojun's hand brought it to his mouth, kissing the inside of his wrist with the faintest touch. A tiny sigh escaped Xiaojun's lips.  _ What was that?  _

"See, you just want to be good for me." The soothing voice was back, cascading over like the soft blankets below him. Xiaojun brought his hand out of the voices grasp and searched for a face, landing on a jaw and grabbing hold. The owner of said jaw brought his thumb into his mouth, biting the finger pad lightly. Xiaojun let out a moan involuntarily.  _ Seriously, what is going on with me today?  _ The owner of the voice shut down his thoughts suddenly when he crashed his lips on the man's beneath him. Xiaojun hummed in reaction to the brown sugar sweetness of the lips on his own.  _ Sweet _ . Xiaojun could kiss like this forever. When they parted, he actually heard himself  _ whimper _ at the loss.

"So vocal, aren't we?" The velvety voice laughed about him. Where did he know that voice from? The man hooked his thumbs under either side of the blindfold across Xiaojun's eyes, his other fingers caressing both cheeks. "Does that mean you want to move on?" The playful edge to the voice was accompanied by a lifting of the fabric off his face. As his eyes focused in the low light, he remembered where knew that voice from. A simple "Thank you" as their fingertips brushed over sweetener in the coffee shop.

"You." The man hovering above him looked just as incredible as he had that first day Xiaojun saw him, glowing amber eyes and lips slightly pinker from their earlier kissing. Xiaojun blushed at the thought. They  _ kissed? _ They don't even know each other! Come to think of it, Xiaojun was really confused at how they had arrived here in the first place. He felt his heart rate spike as he frantically tried to remember a logical explanation. His companion must have noticed the difference, because he looked at Xiaojun with concern. 

"Xiaojun?" Even in his anxiety, his voice sounded buttery on the other's lips. "Xiaojun?"

"XIAOJUN!" This time, the yell was accompanied by a quick kick to the shin. Xiaojun shook himself and squinted his eyes at the man standing in front of him, hands on his hips. Blinking, he realized who it was. Yangyang. In the coffee shop. He must have fallen asleep on the old couch they shared. Xiaojun reached down and rubbed his shin.

"Hey, I was having a good dream." Yangyang and Hendery, who was still sitting on his side, both let out a snort. 

"Oh we know. We could  _ hear _ you." At this realization, Xiaojun felt the color bleed out of his face. He ran his hands through his hair as he pretended to laugh it off.  _ Sex dreams about a complete stranger. Nice job, creep.  _

-

The next week passed uneventfully, students slowly accepting that it was not going to get warmer as they learned to skirt the small drifts that crept ever further over the sidewalk. Xiaojun didn't run into the man with auburn hair again, thank goodness, but would be lying if he hadn't appeared in his dreams a few more times than he would want to admit. Startling himself awake in the middle of the night, there had been a few times he had to creep across the floor of the tiny dorm room he and Yangyang shared to reach the bathroom and… take care of himself. 

But outside of weird dreams and cooler weather this week was not unlike the ones Xiaojun had before their fall break had past, the routine of college life almost growing monotonous as the middle of the semester rushed toward them. Maybe that helped to explain why he was so excited about having a real astronomy lab this week, something to break up his daily life and get him to actually think. This week's online lecture had been confusing, absolutely. Xiaojun had logged off the video chat function and immediately sent an email to Kun, surprised when he felt his phone buzz almost simultaneously. 

From: Qian, Kun

Subject: Feelin' stuck?

Hi Xiaojun,

I noticed you weren't participating much in the online chat today. Anything I can clarify for you?

-Kun

Xiaojun was so grateful for his TA's help. Without Kun he never would have gotten as excited about the topic as he was now, and definitely wouldn't be looking forward to a weekly night class.  _ Should I change my major?  _ Xiaojun quickly responded to the email, describing where he got stuck, smiling slightly to himself and the idea. He turned as the door to his dorm flew open as Yangyang and Hendery both sauntered in, plastic take out bags in both of their fists. 

"Good, your astrology class is over," Yangyang said, continuing before Xiaojun could remind him  _ yet again _ that he was not going to be able to predict his perfect match using the zodiac, "It's too cold to go out so we thought we could bring the party here!" The party, as it turned out, was cheap low mein and even cheaper fortune cookies, the kind that go back and forth between being very vague and extremely specific. Xiaojun cracked his cookie open after they had eaten their fill of pork fried rice and read his fortune silently as Yangyang leaned over Hendery, scrolling through pinterest and pointing out all of the winter looks the taller boy needed to try now that it was jacket season. 

"You will soon be faced with a challenge of faith. Remember, you are stronger than you think," the little slip of paper read in tiny capital letters.  _ Well, that's ominous.  _ Xiaojun tossed the paper aside and crawled across the floor they were sitting on to Hendery's other side, immediately chiming in about his upcoming fashion choices. 

-

When Thursday came Xiaojun had to stop himself from glancing up at the sky and checking their local weather on his phone.  _ It's just  _ class,  _ you nerd _ , he chided himself. He allowed himself the solace of sitting by the window again in his class with Hendery, eyes dashing from the front of the room to the sky and then to the sidewalk, subconsciously searching for the man with dark hair and golden eyes. The sky seemed to be holding up, clear blue camouflaging the chill it held. He relaxed and looked back at the board, copying the equation his statistics professor had on the PowerPoint slides. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a flash of color, and he glanced down to see- him. A shock of auburn hair framed a face covered mostly by a thick white scarf. His face was still recognizable to Xiaojun, as he saw the outline of his jawline from this almost bird's eye angle. Today the man had on a Burberry style trench coat, buttoned up tightly to fight the chill. His messenger back was slung across his shoulders, bouncing lightly against his backside as he walked steadily against the wind. Xiaojun felt his face heat up when he caught himself eyeing the stranger's backside.  _ This could be a problem _ . Xiaojun decided that he needed to avoid this man, saying as he would only embarrass himself if he tried to talk to him. He made a plan to sit in the middle of the room next class and start going to their coffee shop a bit less, which was probably good for his bank account as well. Satisfied with his decision, he actually focused back in on class. 

"Bye Xiaojunnie, have fun in class," Hendery teased as they left through the hall together and turned to go outside. "Don't nerd out too much or no one will let you share their telescope." Shoving him lightly, Xiaojun rolled his eyes as they went opposite directions. The walk to the observatory was still on campus, but on the opposite end from their last class. By the time Xiaojun got there, it was already starting to darken outside.  _ Night class _ , Xiaojun thought to himself.  _ Weird. _ He walked into the emptying building in front of him and climbed up the stairwell, feeling a bit like a salmon as he went against the current of students heading home after a full day of work. He eyed the room number assigned to his class from the row of identical doors in the hallway and pushed it in, ready to meet everyone and get started. Xiaojun scanned the room for an empty seat and then- he froze.  _ There.  _ Ten feet away, back facing Xiaojun, was a man with auburn hair and a tweed jacket, unpacking his bag in the very middle seat of the first row. 

Xiaojun's mind ran a million miles a minute, creating questions.  _ Is he a student in our class? A professor auditing the course?  _ Maybe his old professor had retired abruptly and this man had been his replacement. Or maybe he was just a student like Xiaojun, and was wearing a messenger bag to make a statement about fashion choices at universities. Either way, he scared the crap out of him. Xiaojun turned on his heel and took the seat in the last row of the classroom, eyes finally taking in the rest of the room. Students milled around, chatting as they sat in pods of two or three. He looked at his watch. Class should start in just a minute. Where was Kun? Xiaojun fought to keep his eyes from wandering back to the ruby-haired man, the one he had decided to avoid just minutes before. However, he couldn't help but notice when the man stood up, grabbed a folder and a pen, and walked to the front of the room, placing the pen and papers on the small podium there before turning back toward the class. Xiaojun froze.  _ No.  _

"Good evening everyone, I'm so excited we can finally meet in person!" The stranger smiled warmly at the room and Xiaojun felt those around him lean closer. He stayed in place. The man continued, "Welcome to fundamentals of Astronomy."

"I'm Qian Kun, your TA."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who are y'all's WayV ships??? There will be some more in here soooooon...


	3. Chapter 3

That night, Xaojun laid frozen in his small "twin-plus" dorm bed, staring at the faded stars on the ceiling that had been left there from students past. He couldn't believe it. The man he saw on the sidewalk and at the coffee shop, the stunning man he simply couldn't get out of his head, was Kun.  _ That  _ Kun. The teaching assistant that had made the class he was dreading more interesting than he ever could have imagined. As a teacher, Kun shone. It was obvious that this was his favorite thing to do, as Xiaojun had seen him explain a concept with an almost enraptured tone then read the room in an instant to see who needed more details. It may have been his imagination, but Xiaojun could have sworn he saw the entire class physically lean in when Kun spoke, hanging on to his every word as he excitedly led them to an understanding of how different atmospheres influence the chemical makeup of each planet.  _ That _ Kun. The man who he emailed back and forth with on an almost daily basis, talking not just about his assignments but the actual content he was beginning to study.  _ That _ Kun. The man he had a sex dream about the other day. In public. 

Xiaojun allowed his mind to wander back to that dream, struggling to remember the plot as it had faded into the back of his mind. Something that involved darkness and a voice like velvet.

"Are you going to be good for me, baby boy?" The phrase drifted back from his subconscious and Xiaojun felt his whole body flush. He had never been called anything like that before… _ No.  _ He chided himself. It had been one thing when he didn't know who it was, and now that he did, it would be just too weird. Especially since that stranger was now the one in charge of his grades.  _ But that voice… _ his brain wandered away again before he could stop it, remembering that there had been a blindfold involved in this sleeping fantasy. Xiaojun felt himself start to harden, and moaned slightly under his breath. Yangyang wouldn't be home for another hour, and this was a perfectly normal, healthy thing for a young man his age to do.  _ Except when it's your professor _ , his brain chastised him before he could stop it. Xiaojun reached to his bedside drawer and pulled out a small bottle of clear lubricant and a toy.  _ Too late now. _

His eyes fell closed as he fell back on the mattress, hands automatically trailing down to his pelvic bone. This was completely habitual, something he did all the time. Sometimes, you just had to relieve the stress, right? Xiaojun let a small huff of air brush past his lips as his fingers traced the soft skin of his dick. Even through his boxers, he could feel himself stiffening.  _ That was fast,  _ the boy had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Ignoring his brain’s snide remarks, Xiaojun parted the slit in his pants and pulled himself free, sucking in a harsh breath as the chilled air hit his skin. Ringing his fingers around the base, he let his mind wander again. Dark, velvet, warm-

“That’s it, baby boy. Touch yourself for me.” Xiaojun tried to pretend he couldn’t recognize the voice associated with his fantasy, that it was just a coincidence that the molten lava he now felt coursing through his veins wasn’t from hearing Kun in his subconscious. 

He wasn’t very good at pretending. 

“Does that feel nice, baby?” The man’s voice rang clearly throughout Xiaojun’s mind, “If you like it, you can tell me. I want to hear you.” Xiaojun felt himself hum despite himself, knowing full well that there was no one there to hear him make a noise. Still, the sound felt good to his ears. 

“That’s it, Xiaojun. Let yourself go.” His hand was working a bit faster now, thumb ghosting over the slit, brushing the soft seam between his head. At a particularly sensitive swipe, he heard himself slightly. It was a high, breathy sound, unlike any he’d ever made before. Xiaojun liked it. 

“You like that, don’t you baby? You want everyone to hear how good I make you feel. How even the  _ idea _ of me makes you feel.” It wasn’t a question. 

Xiaojun worked his fingers up faster, teasing himself almost to completion when he heard the velvety voice in his brain speak up again. 

“Not yet. Wait for me.” With an audible sigh of frustration, Xiaojun removed his hand completely from his now aching dick, breath heavy with soft pants. What had possessed him to do that? Xiaojun had never edged himself before. Sure, he saw people do it in porn, but he never really saw the point. Why would you  _ wait _ to finish? 

“Now. Go ahead, baby.” He brought his hand back to his skin, hot to the touch, and almost yelped at the pleasure. His cooling hands on the oversensitive skin was so much more intense than he had expected. It took almost no time, hand wringing up and down himself, slick with precum, to get close to the edge again. 

“So good,” He called out softly to the empty room, “I wanna cum, _please_."

He seemed to hear the voice before his brain brought it to his conscious mind. Body shaking on his mattress, fist pumping furiously, Xiaojun was grateful for the release. He cried out as his brain formed the words.

“Go ahead, you’ve been such a good boy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is SO short and sweet but I really wanted our boy to start exploring his feelings!!
> 
> Please tell me all of your WayV thoughts/ships/ideas I want to hear them all 💕


	4. Chapter 4

“The three musketeers? Really?” 

Xiaojun stared at his reflection in the mirror, flanked by Hendery and Yangyang on either side. They all wore matching outfits, black jeans and button downs with leather jackets hanging loosely around their shoulders. 

“A bit of a stretch there, Yang,” Hendery chided jokingly as he reached for the desk behind him and picked up three identical black silk masks, tying one behind his head. “I feel more like the fox from Dora.”

Yangyang huffed as he grabbed his own mask from Hendery’s grasp. “It’s a  _ concept _ , Hendery, you wouldn’t understand.” Tying his own mask around his eyes, he spun to face Xiaojun and turned his head towards him to fasten the fabric around him as well. “Besides, it’s a masquerade party. The costumes were just a fun excuse to look hot.”

Xiaojun sighed lightly and looked back at his reflection. He guessed he  _ did _ look hot, jeans ripped above the knee and jacket falling around his small frame to make his angles look even sharper. The fabric mask hugged his high cheekbones, and combined with his freshly bleached blonde hair, he definitely felt unrecognizable. Maybe he could play this part. He slipped a variety of small hoop earrings into the mess of piercings on his left ear and played with the small bracelet he always kept around his wrist. “Where are we going again?” he spoke to the mirror. 

“Ball Masque.” Yangyang responded, excitement bubbling up. “It’s the biggest event of the year for us!” He bounced lightly on the balls of his feet when he spoke. Since the trio had come together freshman year, Yangyang had been their self-appointed “Delegate of the Gays”, making sure to keep up with all of the events that happened in their, albeit small, queer community. He brought them along to every drag show, fundraiser, pride event, and parade that happened, making sure the group was doing their part to support their peers. Yangyang was very aware that not every young person in the LGBTQ+ community had the kind of friends that they had in each other, and wanted to spread the love as much as possible. Hendery and Xiaojun, for their part, gratefully went along with it all, and had a blast at every event they went to. They just weren’t as good at the scheduling. 

Pouring out of the small uber they shared there, the boys looked at the dimly lit entrance to the one gay bar in their small college town. Framed by lightly falling snowflakes and a small string of lights, the bar looked entirely closed.

“Are you sure we’re at the right place?” Hendery asked wearily. Yangyang eyed him in exasperation. 

“Exactly where else would it be? We’re here, trust me.” He dragged the other two into the doorway, shoving the heavy wood open without hesitation. 

Inside the bar was an entirely different story. A long bar was lit from beneath with a plethora of rainbow lights, and the only other source of light came from a gigantic disco ball reflecting colors faintly around the entire room. The rest of the space was filled with a dance floor, and that floor was full of people. Everyone was dressed according to the theme, feathery masks paired with neon dresses, colorful nylons, and velvet suits. The masks seemed to give the mass of people a sense of mysterious confidence, because they all took fashion risks greater than the trio had ever seen at that bar before, thigh-high boots and glitter filling the space as bodies grinded on each other. Yangyang immediately caught the attention of someone he recognized, dashing across the floor to do his introductions and leaving the other two to their own devices. 

“You wanna dance?” Hendery gestured to the flashing mob behind them. Nodding more emphatically than he felt, Xiaojun allowed himself to be led to the floor and started swaying his hips to the Lizzo song blasting all around them. Hendery laughed as the smaller boy got bolder with the music, almost twerking in front of him as he thought Lizzo would want him to. Hendery played along, grabbing his friend’s hips and egging him on with cheesy cat calls. Suddenly Xiaojun felt him freeze up behind him, eyes trained on a face a few feet from them. He followed the taller boy’s gaze to see Ten, Hendery’s well established crush from the class above them, staring back at his best friend with a glint in his eyes. He was wearing an intricate lace mask that covered most of his face, only recognizable by the shock of silver hair he had come to be known for the past few months. Xiaojun looked back at Hendery’s face, the tension almost palpable between the two across the room. 

“Dude. Go.” Xiaojun shoved Hendery toward Ten’s form, watching as they seemed drawn together like magnets. 

“Are you sure?” Hendery asked softly, his words falling away as he was already drifting farther and farther away from Xiaojun. He giggled softly to himself as the lovebirds fell into step together, bodies fitting perfectly the rhythm. Before he could notice, a tiny pang of jealousy bubbled up in his gut. Rolling his eyes as his own pettiness, Xiaojun turned around, heading to the bar to shake off the feeling. 

-

“I’m sorry, a  _ what _ mask?” Kun looked incredulously at his phone, as though his friend would be able to see his face through the call. 

“Don’t pull that face” Sicheng responded is his usual deadpan tone, and this time Kun actually was incredulous. 

“How do you always do that?” He mumbled to himself, turning to open his small closet. He thumbed past the stockpile of long coats he had bought since his recent move up north and dug around for something- no,  _ anything _ , he could wear to a bar. 

“It’s called Ball Masque, meaning we all dress up in masks and sexy outfits and grind on strangers in a dimly lit room.” Sicheng continued, the event’s description doing little to lower Kun’s stress about the whole idea. At his friend’s huff on the other line, Sicheng pushed on, “Kun, since you’ve been here, how much time have you taken to have fun? When’s the last time you went out?” There was a telltale silence on the other end. Since Kun had moved to the small town at the start of the year to start his graduate program, he had accomplished a lot. Found an advisor, narrowed down his area of research, and even managed to convince the professor he was a TA for to let him lead the discussion part of the class. He had done a lot, but in terms of having fun, Kun was lacking. He hadn’t gone out in…. Oh no. He couldn’t even remember the last time he went to get a drink with his friends.

“I know you’re busy,” Sicheng kept pushing, speaking softer this time, “But you’re not even twenty-three, Kun. You deserve to go do the kind of stupid things young people do.” Kun flushed at that. Sicheng, one of the few people in the program close to his age, often had to be the voice of reason. He acted as the voice of reason, reminding Kun that he was still allowed to make mistakes and, in fact, probably should be. He sighed in acceptance.

"Fine. But I have nothing to wear." Kun dug deeper into the pit of a closet, that also doubled as his default storage unit for everything else. He pulled out bins of summer clothes and uniforms he hasn't worn since his years at the preparatory school he begged his parents to let him attend. Sticking his hand in the piles of clothes at random, he heard Sicheng's teasing tone on the other end of the line. 

"The only rule is that it has to have a mask. Don't you have something tight fitting?" He could hear the smirk in his voice. Halfway through an indignant response that,  _ No,  _ he did  _ not _ own anything form fitting and sexy _ , _ Kun's hand hit something at the very bottom of a plastic tub, voice pausing as he lifted the two-piece outfit in front of his face.

"Actually," he laid the outfit on the bed in front of him and snapped a quick photo, sending it to Sicheng with the other still on the line, "Could this work?"

"YES!" Was the sharp cry on the other end. "I love it. You're going to be everyone's knight in shining armor." Kun rolled his eyes at that, but slipped the outfit on anyway. It had been years since he'd last worn the uniform, but miraculously, it still fit, if a bit snug. He eyed himself over in the mirror. It wasn't necessarily  _ supposed _ to be sexy, but seeing as Kun had recently become a lot more consistent with his running and climbing schedule, he filled it out much better than he had in his competitive high school days. Pulling the oversized mask down to cover his face, he looked every bit the mysterious stranger.  _ Yeah,  _ he thought to himself,  _ this might actually be fun. _

-

Xiaojun was all the way through his second Pixie Stick (or was it _Pixie's_ _Dick? _This was a gay bar after all), and he slurped through his straw when he finished off the sickeningly sweet mix of blue and purple liqueurs that tasted more like a Jolly Rancher than anything else. He spun back around from where he had been keeping an eye on his friends, Yangyang flitting around the small room with the gleam of a successful party in his eyes and Hendery and Ten inching ever closer on the dance floor. At this point they seemed practically molded together, their bodies rolling as one regardless of what song was playing above. As he turned toward the bartender again, Xiaojun felt the slight tug of drunkenness slip through his consciousness- not enough to worry about, just enough to feel adequately jostled when the empty seat next to him was suddenly filled by a body where it hadn't been before. He reached out a hand to steady himself on the bar (okay, maybe he wasn't _quite_ as sober as he thought) and was startled when he hand brushed against his new neighbor's gloved one. In a slight trance, Xiaojun followed the line of the newcomer's taught white glove up his sleeve, where a thin undershirt connected to a form fitting white jacket that hugged his sharp shoulders and ran down to his hips. The undershirt led to a turtleneck that poked out from the top of the man's jacket and he wore tight white spandex pants below the jacket's hemline, and Xiaojun was sure that if he stood up and turned around, there would be little left to the imagination. The man was clothed entirely from head to toe, even with a gigantic mask covering his entire head, white fabric wrapping around the back to lead into silver mesh blocking his features. 

A fencing uniform.

The costume must have been a few years old, Xiaojun mused, because it hugged too tight in all the right places. Does that mean it was real? He ignored the image of this stranger lunging toward him with something pointy and instead left his hand where it was resting on his, turning to meet his masked face. 

"Hey. Do you want to dance?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I'm so shit at updating!! These chapters are super short so I wanted to post them together. 
> 
> Serious question: If you were Wong Yukhei, what would you go to grad school for???


	5. Chapter 5

The minute Sicheng dragged Kun through the door he was awestruck, low lights bouncing off the heaving mass of bodies in the room, a swath of colors and styles like Kun had never seen before. He lifted his mask up and turned to his friend, eyes wide. 

"Before you say anything, just go. Get a drink. Dance with a stranger. Have  _ fun. _ " The last word was emphasized in the other man's deep baritone, carrying beneath the ringing of the pop music in their ears. Sicheng reached up and tugged Kun's full-coverage mask back over his features. "There. Now you can spew any bullshit about running into any of your students or peers while were here. We're young. We're hot. Let's go." As if on cue, the beat dropped in the song that had just come on, and Sicheng gave Kun one more smirk before drifting into the crowd to dance with everyone else. Kun squared his shoulders in determination and headed toward the bar. It was kind of hard to see through his mask, but he loved the protection it provided him in the form of not just anonymity but physical space from the crowd. He could get used to masked parties. 

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than he was tripping over himself into the nearest barstool, placing a hand on the counter to steady himself. Kun was surprised to feel a hand rest on top of his gloved one, and looked up to see a man dressed like a bandit. He had a shock of blonde hair that was cut off at the eyes by a black piece of fabric, wrapped around his angular features to act as a mask. Instead, the fabric only served to emphasize the man's large almond eyes, deep pools of brown that Kun immediately wanted to dive into. He could see silver jewelry littering the man's face and glinting off the lights in the room. He wanted to know this stranger. When he asked him to dance before Kun could even order a drink (although he and Sicheng had taken it upon themselves to create some liquid courage before they left the house), he nodded almost frantically. The other man laughed, a melodic, tonal laugh, and Kun was drawn in even further.

They made their way to the dance floor, squeezing in between bodies and attempting to create a small space for themselves. Kun wasn't a bad dancer, per say, but the mask was definitely inhibiting his motions. Not wanting to lessen the air of mystery, Kun allowed himself to be pulled in with the crowd, grabbing his partner's hand and joining the swell. He heard that laugh again, clear and full, and he felt his stomach do a small flip. He wanted to keep making the strange man laugh, wanted to be the one to make him smile. So when they found the tiniest bit of space, in a darker corner of the already dark room, Kun spun himself toward the man and put forth his best effort. He placed his hands on the slightly smaller man’s hips, if only for balance, and didn’t feel as self-conscious as he usually might in this close of quarters. He wanted this beautiful stranger to have a great time, and put his own concerns aside. That is, until, he felt the other’s hands wrap around his neck, drawing their bodies impossibly closer together in the corner. They started to move together, slower than the music intended, swaying to their own rhythm. After what felt like seconds or days, but nowhere in between, Kun felt the stranger’s breath brush against his ear- more specifically, the thin fabric covering his ear- as he leaned in to whisper something to him. Not sure what had been said, Kun tried to turn his head to face the other, but found himself again inhibited by the mask covering his face.  _ Oh yeah, super sexy, _ he scolded himself. But the man pressed against him only laughed again, the sound like music to Kun’s ears.

“You know, you can take that off if you’d like. The mystery has worked already.” Kun pulled his head back slightly to look at the man he was very definitely holding in his arms. Should he reveal himself? He worried for a second that his partner might be disappointed when he lifted the cover. Then the image of Sicheng scowling at him immediately flooded his mind, and he pushed the detrimental thoughts away. He glanced back down at the stranger, who he now remembered he hadn’t even asked a name for, and saw his eyes trailing down to where he assumed Kun’s lips to be under the cover of the mesh.  _ Worth it.  _ Kun flipped up the mask, casting a shadow over both of their faces, so he could just make out the playful sparkle in the man’s eyes as he looked back at the outline of his face in the added darkness. 

“Can I kiss you?” Kun felt himself ask without really thinking about it. His voice came out rough, deeper than usual. If the stranger minded, he didn’t show it, instead leaning back in until his face was fully obscured alongside Kun’s. 

“I thought you’d never ask.” 

Their mouths slotted together instantly, as if drawn together by some magnetic force. Nothing about it was gentle, but both could feel the pull as they connected even further. Kun was breathless, but didn’t stop, wanting this feeling to go on forever. As he ran his tongue across his partner’s lower lip, his felt rather than heard him sigh lightly, and pushed further, exploring his mouth as he pressed up against him. The other man took a slight step back, falling against the wall of the club neither had realized they were so close to, and when Kun stepped forward to meet him, his thigh slotted in between the smaller man’s. He was now covering him completely, the mask still shrouding both of their faces in shadow, and Kun could hear the other moan just barely when their hips rubbed together with delicious friction. He began to feel intoxicated with this sensation of control, knowing that he had the power to make this stranger feel so good against him. He relished the way his rolled his hips up to meet his, rubbed his fingers in the nape of his neck as they made out. He reached up as well and traced his fingers along the line of the thin mask covering the stranger’s eyes, framing him like a raccoon’s fur. The man leaned into the touch, fingers reaching up under the tight fabric of Kun’s mask as it hugged close to his face as well. Breaking their kiss just slightly, he spoke, voice strained but still clear as shot through Kun’s nervous system. 

“Can I take this off?” Kun nodded vehemently again, but with small gestures so as not to knock either of them in the head with the bulky mask still resting on his head. It was about time he got out of that thing. The disco ball and scattered strobe lights around the room had been turned up to full force now, small beams of light dancing through the smoky air, and Kun was entranced by the idyllic face of the man before him as he reached his fingers ever deeper into the fabric blocking Kun’s features from the rest of the world. He was so excited to kiss those lips again, watching them purse slightly in concentration as he pushed the tight fabric upward. Then Kun was free, shaking his head slightly in hopes that his reddish-brown locks wouldn’t be completely flattened to his skull. When he glanced back at his partner, he froze. Where a look of interest, even playful coyness, had been before, the man’s eyes were now widened to the size of dinner plates. The previously pursed lips where open slightly, breathing heavier than before. 

“Like what you see?” Kun laughed nervously at the stupid joke, attempting to ease the tension. Jeez, was he really that unattractive?

“Yes,” the man exhaled, then seemed to realize what he had just said and shook his head frantically, “I mean no. No, sir. Sorry, I have to go.” and with that, he pushed past Kun and into the mass of bodies on the dance floor. 

  
Kun stood where he was, stunned. Instead of the obvious, he focused his attention on the fact that the stranger had taken his fencing mask. Not that he needed it, or anything, but it was an odd thing to take from someone you just made out with. He thought about the logistics of getting a new mask, ignoring the big questions running through his mind. He ignored a much smaller one as well. Why had the stranger called him sir as soon as looked at his face? And why did he  _ like it so much? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I'm so shit at updating!! These chapters are super short so I wanted to post them together. 
> 
> Serious question: If you were Wong Yukhei, what would you go to grad school for???


	6. Chapter 6

Sighing, Kun ran another hand through his auburn hair, hating this feeling of insecurity. He shouldn't let something that happened five days ago with a random stranger get to him, but he couldn't help himself. Kun didn't  _ do _ random makeout sessions with beautiful boys in dark clubs. If Sicheng hadn't dragged him to the party, he would have probably stayed home, watching cooking shows on Netflix while absentmindedly running through the magic tricks he used to teach himself to pass the time. It was a fun hobby, but definitely not a cool one. Not the kind of hobby that people who make out with beautiful strangers in dark bars in even darker corners do. Even though, Kun thought to himself, there was something  _ magical _ about that stranger, the way his hips felt under Kun's hands, the way he sighed into his mouth, the way he responded to his voice when they spoke in hushed tones. It had felt like… something. Kun pulled his hand through his hair one more time, staring himself down in the mirror of his tiny bathroom. 

"It was nothing," He said out loud to himself, "just a moment with a stranger. There's nothing wrong with you because he left, it was just a moment." He sighed again without meaning to, watching his shoulders slump as he looked deeply into his own eyes. "This is why you don't do these things. Get over it. You're going to go do what you do best, and be an adult." With that, he straightened his posture, tugged on his long tweed jacket, and wrapped a white cashmere scarf around his neck. Even if he felt like crap, he couldn't let his students know that. No, Kun was certain they all thought he was much older than he was, and he wasn't about to tell them otherwise. Glancing down at his phone, he was surprised he hadn't seen an email from Xiaojun yet today. Usually the boy emailed him immediately after the Wednesday online lectures, asking for clarification. He had grown accustomed to the back and forth they shared, actually a little excited to be seeing what had stumped the student and, more importantly, what had excited him. For some, the study of the galaxies, solar systems and their elements seemed mundane, far away or irrelevant. But for Kun, it seemed like the only way to get a handle on the world he belonged to. By taking the widest possible view he could of the universe then working his way back down to where he fit into it all, he felt like he could understand everything a bit more clearly. Kun loved to look very in-depth into concepts and ideas that at first seemed far fetched, and was beginning to see Xiaojun do the same. He asked questions that demonstrated a clear curiosity about questions that had yet to be answered, and even if he couldn't recognize it in himself, Kun saw the researcher in him begin to emerge. It was fun, talking to Xiaojun, and the TA often forgot he was supposed to be providing guidance in their virtual conversations, instead posing even deeper questions in response to the other man's interesting ones. Kun hadn't felt that kind of academic connection in a long time, and it made the space nerd inside him giddy with the opportunity to geek out over his favorite subject.

Feeling his phone buzz in his hand, Kun swiped the spam email notification away before the digital clock on his lockscreen alerted him he was running late. Tugging his scarf a little tighter, he pushed into the brisk air.

He walked into class, head held high. Kun loved this. Yes, every time he got up to speak his shaking palms began to sweat buckets. Fine, he had to count in his head to make sure he was allowing time for questions And sure, he had forgotten to take attendance on the very first day of in-person lab because he was so nervous. But he figured people still had time to drop the class, so it didn't much impact anything either way. And he was a good teacher, he could tell. Today he would do his logistic duties as a TA, actually noting who's here and who did the assignment from the week before. Then he could get into the fun stuff, helping them understand concepts he knew he wouldn't have grasped through their professor's lecture alone and working each day to convince his students that  _ yes _ , they did have a "science brain" and could do any of the tasks their professor assigned with a little extra guidance from Kun. That's what he was there for. As he saw the time on his lockscreen turn to the top of the hour, Kun stood up from behind the desk placed inconspicuously in the front corner of the room and grabbed the small stack of papers with a sticky note that read, "TAKE ATTENDANCE TODAY" on top. Ripping the brightly colored note off the page and sticking it to the table, he turned to face the crowd, head already tucked down to read the names on the sheet.  _ Do it before you forget, then you can go into your theatrics. _ He held his thumb to the first name and began to call out, eyes finally darting to the part of the room he assumed the student in question would be. He recognized every name on the list of course, he had been talking to them all for half a semester already, and it wasn't a large class. Most of the students even had their ID photo uploaded to the online database, so he was able to recognize their faces from that alone. A few names in, he began to get curious about Xiaojun. He remembered his chesnut colored hair from the photo he uploaded, but didn't remember seeing anyone who matched that profile walk in. He continued reading, excited to finally put a face to the name. 

"Xiao Dejun". He glanced up at the same time as he saw a flash of bleach blonde hair, honey eyes meeting molten chocolate ones across the room.  _ Him _ . The stunningly charismatic man from the other night at the bar, who had laughed with him (or was it  _ at _ him?) as Kun fumbled around in his old fencing uniform. The man who made him feel so alive, like maybe he wasn't a complete waste at flirting, then ran away as soon as he got a good look at his face. All of the negative feelings Kun had been pushing down came bubbling back up to the surface, and he felt heat creep up his cheeks and behind his eyes. The harsh overhead lights did nothing to diminish how otherworldly the stranger- Xiaojun- looked, watching him with an unreadable expression somewhere between fear and shame on his face. Was Kun really that shameful? Kun would've remembered seeing his shockingly bright hair during the first day of in-person class, he had expected Xiaojun to come introduce himself. He must not have been there, so he had no reason to recognize Kun as anything other than a dorky stranger over the weekend.  _ That _ was Xiaojun. The man he had been so excited to meet, to get to share their nerdiest space theories together.  _ That _ was one of the few people in this program he had seen as a peer of his, who could go beyond just a professional working relationship and be friends.  _ That _ was the man who was so embarrassed to be seen with him that he ran away as soon as he got a good look at Kun's face. Taking a breath to steady his nerves, Kun looked away from the gorgeous person a few feet from him and focused all of his attention back on the list. 

After class, Kun was more frustrated with himself than anyone else. Try as he might, he had always been an open book, and it was nearly impossible for him to conceal how upset he was during class. At one point he just gave up, ending the discussion ten minutes early when no one was participating like they had last week. Sighing, he packed up his things to leave into the dark autumn night. Feeling the telltale buzz of his phone, he pulled it out and almost swiped away the email that appeared on instinct. When he read the full message, Kun's eyes grew wider.

-

From: Browning, Barry

To: GEO201 

CC: Qian, Kun

Subject: Extra [Mandatory] Office Hours Next Week

Dear class,

I hope you all enjoyed your discussion with Mr. Qian this evening and have gotten home safely. Due to the impending weather that already has and will most likely continue to interrupt your in-person learning experience, I am offering (requiring) extra office hours with your TA. 

Kun will be around for an hour each day next week in order to meet with all of your one on one and check in. Please use the following  Link to sign up for the time slot you prefer. Early bird gets the worm!

Remember, you are required to meet with him face to face in order to get participation credit for next week.

Have a nice weekend,

Dr. Browning

-

Kun exhaled as he finished the email. 

"Well, fuck."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We can all use a little distraction these days
> 
> These boys are my favorite one
> 
> Please stay safe & healthy, and let me know what you want to see next!


	7. Chapter 7

Xiaojun sat frozen in front of his laptop, the pale light of a calendar scheduling site illuminating his face in the dark of the shared dorm room. Yangyang had gone to bed hours ago, realizing that his roommate was no fun to talk to when he was as distracted as Xiaojun seemed to be. 

“Required Office Hours- Select the time that works best for you.” The words on the screen seemed to be taunting him alongside the list of 20 minute time-slots growing ever shorter the longer he waited to select an option. The time that worked best for Xiaojun, in his opinion, did not exist. He would much rather crawl into a hole and disappear instead of having to face Kun again. He couldn’t believe he had inadvertently fallen for a stranger _ twice _ that happened to be his TA- Someone he didn’t just respect, but felt he had a genuine connection with. He had imagined Kun to be a potential mentor, friend, or someday even peer, but now he had gone and ruined that because he got distracted by his cute ass. Twice. It didn’t help that Kun was so attractive, Xiaojun’s face flushing automatically whenever he got near the man, making any hope of a real conversation impossible. _ God, _ why did he have to be so cute? And such a good _ kisser? _ Xioajun was spiralling, quickly, down a rabbit hole of his mistakes when it came to the older man. Running off in the bar, not introducing himself on the first day of class, _ fantasizing _ about him for god’s sake. 

He couldn’t imagine what Kun thought about him, his face unreadable when their eyes met during roll. The rest of the class, trying uselessly to focus on the material, Xiaojun had continued to be distracted by the man. If Kun was a little shaken by the realization that Xiaojun was the rude blonde stranger from that weekend, he didn’t show it, carrying on with class in the same charismatic way he had done before. Amber eyes bright with excitement over the subject matter and the hope that his students were interested. Kun shone in the classroom. His calm tone matched by endearingly oversized facial expressions combined to create the perfect balance of professional and relatable. Kun was an adult, that much was clear when he was in front of a classroom, but he wasn't aloof or distant, and lacked the arrogance the official professor of their course seemed to have oozing out of his smile. No, Kun was approachable. He was just vulnerable enough with the class and demonstrated, instead of simply stated, that there was no such thing as a dumb question. He took every concern, no matter how basic, and treated it like it _ mattered. _ Like the student who shared the concern mattered. Xiaojun had noticed all of this before ever stepping into the same room as his TA. 

_ Fine _ , so maybe he had a crush on his teacher even before he knew that he was the beautiful man from the sidewalk that day. Kun continued to surprise him, but not to Xiaojun's benefit. He glanced back down at his screen and selected the earliest option. _ Let's get this over with. _ But the screen froze, then the page abruptly reloaded. When the scheduling calendar appeared back in front of him, every single spot was taken, except for the last one. Friday at 7pm. _ Shit _. It was distant from the other times, and obvious that Kun had squeezed in that final slot to accommodate everyone in the class. There were no other times on Friday, since a snow storm was threatening to hit the night before and there would be no travel the following morning. By 7, he figured, it probably would've cleared up enough to make it over to the observatory building. Xiaojun brushed a stray piece of white blonde hair out of his eyes and looked to the dresser next to his small bed, where a white mask was lying, almost glowing in the dark room. Should he bring the mask back? Xiaojun didn't want to decide. He looked at the screen again, dim glow starting to strain his eyes in the dark. He would go to the meeting. Apologize. Run out of there. He could run, right? It's the only thing he had ever done around Kun. Run away.

\--

It didn't storm. The entire campus watched as Thursday night came and went, but not a flake fell from the sky. It was certainly cold enough for snow, students bundled up as they dashed from dorm to dining hall, noses pink. Xiaojun was happy that his night lab was still cancelled. He told himself it was because he didn't want to brave the cold, but he knew the reality. He just wasn't... brave.

When Friday came and the campus was icy but the sky was still clear, Xiaojun knew he would have to face his fear. 

“Did you guys see us dance? We danced. Ten’s _ such _ a good dancer,” Hendery gushed as he plopped down next to Xiaojun, sinking steadily into the worn down padding of their favorite old couch. Even though the party had happened over a week ago now, the three had barely had any time to debrief about what happened that night. The end of the semester was approaching, and it was starting to intrude on their precious gossiping time. 

“Yes, Hendery, we all saw you and your adorable crush grind all over each other,” Yangyang teased as he reached out to grab the coffee from his friend’s outstretched hand. “It was too gross to watch, but I couldn’t take my eyes off. Sort of like a car crash?” He pretended to ponder the image until Hendery reached across the small table between them and flicked him on the forehead. “Ouch! Relax, you guys are clearly very good together.” A smile stretched across Hendery’s face at the affirmation and he pulled out his phone to show his friends the messages they had been exchanging ever since. Yangyang pushed his hands away, disgusted by how obsessed with each other the boys were, Hendery turned to his other side to get Xiaojun’s opinion. 

“Don’t bother asking him,” Yangyang interjected again. “He was too busy _ getting to know _ someone else that night. Who _ was _ that guy, Xiao? I’ve never seen anyone make a fencing uniform look that good.”

Xiaojun felt his face heat up at the question. Who _ was _ Kun to him? He couldn't exactly turn to his best friend and casually explain that the stranger they saw him making out with last weekend was not only the _ same _ stranger he had been fantasizing about for weeks, but also the man in charge of the grades for one of his most difficult classes this semester. He couldn't explain how he had run away from not one, but _ three _ opportunities to explain himself, and was now officially terrified to even go to office hours with the man. He thought about the mask that was sitting in the backpack at his feet, begging for him to deal with the situation. He looked back at his friends and caved.

"Guys, I need some help."

\--

_ This might work, _ Xiaojun thought as he pulled his jacket tighter around his slight frame, pushing against the wind on the way to the observatory. His friends had been surprisingly understanding about the whole situation, then unsurprisingly mad that he hadn't explained his feelings earlier. His dorm wasn't exactly close to the observatory building, but he was used to coming here for late night classes anyway, so the walk in the dark didn't bother him. But it wasn't usually so cold. He rubbed his hands together and shifted his jacket again as he ran through the plan in his head. _ Apologize. Explain. Get out of there. _Both Hendery and Yangyang agreed that the best thing Xiaojun could do was give a surface level story about what happened between them and promise to never speak of it again. It didn't matter that it was in a different context than normal, or that they were about the same age. It didn't matter how Xiaojun's heart fluttered every time he thought back to Kun's warm hands on his back, and cupping his chin. It didn't matter how his warm lips felt on his. It didn't matter. All that mattered was that they kept it professional.

When he walked into the round classroom on the top floor, he was surprised to see it empty. It was cleaner than it had ever been, too, chairs arranged properly and only lit by one of the florescent lights lining the low ceiling that cut off the base of the observatory from the real, _ telescope-y _part. The door adjacent to the one Xiaojun had just walked through was slightly ajar, and warm light was drifting through the crack. Xiaojun rapped faintly on the door, then again with a firmer hand. He could do this. There was the sound of something hitting wood on the other side of the door, then a soft "shit" followed by the rustling of papers. "Just a minute Xiaojun!" Kun's distinct voice called past the gap in the door. It wasn't supposed to sound lovely. But Xiaojun didn't realize how much he had wanted to hear Kun say his name out loud again. It sounded wonderful in his timbre, even when tossed out to fill time. Xiaojun took another breath, planting his feet and trying to push the butterflies in his stomach down. When Kun called him in again, he pretended his name on his tongue didn't effect him and pushed inside. 

Kun's office, if you could call it that, doubled as the storage space for the entire department. Xiaojun had been back here once, during lab, to climb the stairs that lead from the round classroom to the observatory above. On every wall that didn't house a door were shelves, filled to the brim with encyclopedias, stacks of printer paper, extra staplers, and other supplies they might need. In front of each shelf was a small desk piled high with more papers and textbooks, and a desktop computer. Xiaojun scanned the room until he reached Kun's desk, tucked the farthest in the back. His makeshift cubicle had a set of three drawers that were locked shut, a coffee mug set in front of the computer screen, and a pile of papers that were even messier than those on the surrounding desk. Kun held one of the papers up, a print out of a complex chart Xiaojun couldn't read from here. His lips were pursed, blowing on a coffee stain that looked very recent. When he saw Xiaojun, Kun set the paper down and smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. 

"What's up, Xiaojun?" His tone was light in a calculated way.

"I wanted to explain myself, Mr. Qian" Xiaojun started. 

"Please, call me Kun," the other man jumped in. It sounded like an automatic response. "We're basically the same age." 

"Kun." Xiaojun took a shaky breath, steadying himself for what he was about to say. "Well, you see, the thing is-"

_ “Brrrrrm! Brrrrm!” _Suddenly, both of their phones began vibrating incessantly where they were resting on the desk between them. Both men scrambled for the devices, Xiaojun muttering apologies for failing to turn the notifications off even though he could have sworn he had placed it on Do Not Disturb mode. Kun unlocked his phone first, watching as red text scrolled across the home page of his weather app.

_ WINTER STORM ADVISORY: HIGH WINDS, HAIL, SNOW, AND FREEZING RAIN POSSIBLE FOR THE NEXT 4-6 HOURS. DO NOT TRAVEL UNLESS URGENT. _

They were stuck. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took me forever to update I'm so sorry 😔 I had so many plans to be better but social isolation is really messing with my creativity.
> 
> I promise we're almost there though guys!! These boys deserve the world & I would never leave them hanging 💗
> 
> I hope you're all staying healthy & watching as much WayV content as possible!


	8. Chapter 8

It felt like hours before either of them spoke again, the dusty air in the small makeshift office hanging on the silence that followed the weather safety alert. 

“I, uh, guess the storm finally came in…” Xiaojun tried to change the subject. He didn’t have to. As soon as he spoke, Kun jolted into action, jumping out of his worn desk chair and crossing to the bookshelf aligning the opposite wall. Reaching down, he shoved a few three-ring binders and encyclopedias the size of Xiaojun’s head to the side. The TA stuck his hand behind the books with confidence and pulled out a 6-pack of cup ramen as well as two sets of plastic cutlery and napkins, still wrapped in their protective packaging. He shifted the binders back and walked to another shelf, this time standing on his toes to grab a nondescript gray tub from the top shelf. He tossed it down carelessly and Xiaojun’s eyes widened slightly as Kun pulled out two sleeping bags, pillows, and what looked like a full duvet from the bin. He turned back to his desk, pulling an electric kettle out from behind the haphazard stack of papers, which Xiaojun was beginning to realize were deliberately messy, just like the rest of the seemingly unloved space. Finally, Kun crossed to another desk in the room, partially hidden by one of the bookshelves, and opened the discrete mini-fridge obscured beneath it. He pulled out two cans of beer and turned to toss one to Xiaojun before pausing.

“You’re old enough to drink, right?” Xiaojun couldn’t help but chuckle at the question, nodding as Kun handed him the can. He thought he saw a small blush creep across the older man’s flawless face. It grew as he eyed all of the items he had brought out from hiding, and Kun scratched the back of his neck as he explained, “We spend a lot of time in here.”

Twenty minutes later they sat cross-legged in sleeping bags on the floor, finishing off piping hot cups of noodles and their second beer each. The storm raging outside was almost entirely forgotten as Xiaojun grabbed one of the encyclopedias from the bookshelf and flipped to a random page, finding the longest entry there and asking Kun if he could teach him. Unsurprisingly, he could. While it was obvious that he was lying through his teeth for almost all of the examples, Kun’s inner professor was hardwired to present with confidence and warmth. Maybe he was biased, but Xiaojun could listen to him explain these concepts for hours- even if Kun had no idea what he was talking about. Sitting across from each other on the floor, making up definitions for astronomical concepts and warming up with ramen and beer, it felt less like nature-imposed-lockdown and more like casually hanging out. It felt natural to be so close to one another, Xiaojun teasing Kun for making up words and Kun teasing him back for mispronouncing the ones written in the book. Almost natural. 

Eventually, they reached a lull in the conversation. After all, even the most creative people can only be entertained by an  _ encyclopedia _ for so long. Kun noticed the silence a second before Xiaojun did. He glanced at the younger’s face, then down at the cans next to his crossed ankles. 

“Do you want another beer?” He began to rise to his feet. Xiaojun reached out, stopping his hand inches away from Kun’s shoulder, and he gestured for him to sit back down. 

“No, thank you.” Xiaojun took a deep breath and raised his eyes to meet his TA’s. “Kun, we have to talk about this.”

\--

Kun didn’t want to talk about it. He didn’t want to have a conversation with this charming, beautiful man as he told him that he had made a mistake, and if he had seen Kun’s  _ face _ that night in the bar he never would have kissed him in the first place. Kun didn’t want to hear the perfectly logical excuse about how it was wrong to kiss your TA and it was worse to kiss your student. Kun knew that, despite the truth behind those rules, Xiaojun would be using them to cover up his real feelings. Feelings of discomfort and maybe even slight disgust. No, Kun had spent his whole life being the loveable mom friend, he didn’t need someone to reaffirm that they would never see him as anything more than a teacher. He knew that wanting more from his student was horrible, regardless of age and outside circumstances. That was rude, and inappropriate, and probably involved some power dynamic he refused to think about too seriously. As his gaze met Xiaojun’s, he tried to convey all of this into one look, praying that they could skip the conversation altogether. 

They stare at each other like that for a few seconds, and something shifts behind Xiaojun's eyes. He sits back, pulling the comforter over to lay across his lap. 

"Actually, do you have any tea?" Kun's smile returns and he steps back toward his desk.

\--

When Xiaojun cracked his eyes open, it was dark.  _ Warm.  _ His entire body was surrounded by warmth. Xiaojun immediately remembered the last time he felt like this, and was sure that if the lights were on his face would be glowing with embarrassment. He’s had this dream multiple times now, and it’s always the same. Dark, warm room. He’s mostly naked and completely bound to a comfortable bed. A man’s voice-  _ Kun’s voice- _ crashing over him like ocean waves. Xiaojun shifted slightly, anticipating the next part of the dream sequence. But when he shifted, he realized this wasn’t the same dream. He was fully clothed, and still covered by a large duvet that stretched across his entire body. His ankles weren’t bound and the warmth seemed to be coming from arms around him. He wasn’t wearing blind fold. Xiaojun always felt like it was a cruel trick for his mind to play on him, giving him the chance to have dreamy, steamy sex with his crush without letting him look at Kun. It’s not like his brain couldn’t imagine the scenario… Xiaojun had given into that fantasy a few too many times to support that theory. Now he finally had the chance to really imagine the scenario, and he wasn’t about to let it go to waste.

He blinked his eyes open further to take in his surroundings. He was on the floor, laying on top of a sleeping bag and staring at a row of bookshelves that didn’t match the dark bedroom he saw in his usual fantasies. Xiaojun looked down and the arms holding him firmly in place, and strained his neck to turn toward their owner. It  _ was _ Kun, with his eyes closed and breathing softly in a slow steady rhythm. When Xiaojun turned slightly to get a better look at the other man’s face, Kun’s eyebrows knit together and his arms wrapped instinctively tighter around Xiaojun’s waist. He smiled to himself. This was the best dream yet. Xiaojun shifted again to face the other man completely, getting a better look at his sleeping form. But when he reached out to trace a line down the delicate cupid's bow of his lips, Kun’s eyes fluttered open, a look of groggy confusion crossing his face.

“Cute,” Xiaojun muttered to himself as he reached his hand up to run a hand through Kun’s hair, tracing down until he cupped the side of his jaw. He watched as Kun’s look of confusion softened into one of endearment. Dream Kun was very cute. The night softened his features to make him look younger, and the fact that he never fully opened his eyes made it seem sultry when Kun’s voice came out gravely from sleep as he spoke. 

“What are you doing?” He asked as Xiaojun’s hand continued to travel down his neck to his shoulder, then followed the line of his bicep until he reached his own body. 

“You feel so real,” Xiaojun said under his breath, eyes committing the lines of Kun’s face to memory. He saw his lips quirk into a questioning smile. Xiaojun spoke again. “It’s so much better than usual, it’s like you’re really here with me.”

Kun’s smile dropped. Xiaojun sucked in a breath, surprised by the sudden shift in expression. Kun’s eyes darkened with something that looked like withdrawal, then frustration, and he closed them again softly. Xiaojun realized his mistake a second after he’d spoken out loud. The room, the shelves, the sleeping bags. Of course, he would never fantasize about spending more time in the tiny storage-space-turned office. It was real. He had simply fallen asleep while they were stuck inside the room, and Kun had shifted in his sleep and accidentally clung to Xiaojun like he was his favorite stuffed animal. He felt so stupid, assuming he was in one of his dirty dreams just because he was in the same room as his TA after hours. Xiaojun exhaled heavily and started to pull away, planning the best way to create space between them in the tiny room. But as he moved back, the arms that were still firmly around him stayed strong, halting him in place. He looked back up at Kun. Instead of anger, the darkness in the other man’s eyes held an entirely different spark now. He looked at Xiaojun mischievously. 

“You said I was cute.” The gravelly tone was gone now, replaced by the confident deep tones of the man in front of him. Xiaojun swallowed around his Adam's apple. 

“Yes.”

“And you’ve imagined spending time with me like this before.” It wasn’t a question. Xiaojun’s eyes widened slightly as he began to realize where this was going.

“Yes.” He moved before Kun could respond, changing their positions again so Kun was on his back, Xiaojun pressing against his chest for support with his elbows. 

“Kun, please kiss me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello sorry I'm a trash bag human and I took literally months to make any progress on this after breaking poor Kun's heart!! Xiaokun deserves better, you all deserve better, I'm gonna do better :) 
> 
> I know this is short but the next chapter should be up a lot faster!!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oohhhhhkayyy it's been a *hot* minute since I wrote any real smut so I hope y'all like it! If anything doesn't make sense let me know, there's nothing worse than reading a steamy scene and getting caught up in the logistics of it all 😂

“Mr. Qian, you’re not quite acting like yourself.”

_ Damn. _

\---

“If by ‘not like yourself,’ he means genuinely happy for the first time since I’ve known you, Then maybe he’s got a point,” Sicheng said in his characteristically blunt tone before sipping the iced mocha he insisted upon ordering every time they visited their favorite coffee shop, regardless of the freezing temperature outside.

Kun sighed into his own coffee, not undramatically, before responding. His professor had pulled him aside after sitting in on his most recent class, something he had done every other week since Kun’s solo-run lab sessions. Usually, he just ignored the man, happy to carry on with business as normal. He was good at teaching, and his students responded well to his unique style. He didn’t think the professor would be able to notice the slight shift in Kun’s mannerisms, the extra layer of confidence that graced his actions as he discussed his favorite subjects with his mostly-captive audience and one very distracting student. 

“He’s right though. I haven’t exactly been subtle about the way I look at Xiao in class. It’s unprofessional. And probably creepy...” Kun knew he was making a fool out of himself every time he glanced up at Xiaojun over the clipboard he used to call attendance or while scanning the room for questions. But he couldn’t help himself. The idea that the mysterious man at the bar had turned out to be one of his students shocked him, but the realization that there were mutual feelings between them? Incredible. Kun couldn’t stop himself from looking at Xiaojun’s face every opportunity he got, just to see if the small smile he seemed to constantly wear was still there. Kun caught himself thinking about how that smile was probably only there when Xiaojun was around Kun, which is why Kun thought of it as permanent. The idea warmed him more than his favorite coffee ever could. 

\--

It didn’t take long after Xiaojun realized he wasn’t dreaming, and Kun realized that this scenario was something that Xiaojun had _ dreamed about _ before, that something between them shifted that night. 

Their first kiss was quick and experimental, trying to find each other in the dim light of the room. But the moment Xiojun’s lips brushed his, Kun felt his entire body light up. He instinctively wrapped his arms tighter around the younger, pulling him down so they were chest to chest. There was no gap between kisses, the first one driving the connection between both men that neither wanted to break. Xiaojun’s forearms were now framing Kun’s shoulders and he reached his hands up to scratch lightly through his auburn hair. Kun pulled back slightly, laughing at the feeling as Xiaojun continued to run his fingers through, ruining the careful styling that Kun made sure to do every morning. 

“I’ve been wanting to do this,” Xiaojun exhaled next to Kun’s ear, making him shiver involuntarily. “Been thinking about it for a while now.” Kun closed his eyes and let himself enjoy the feeling, trying to take in the younger’s words. When he glanced back up he realized that Xiaojun was openly staring at his face, eyebrows furrowed with focus and eyes concentrated on something Kun couldn’t quite place. Kun darted his tongue out to lick his lips and watched gleefully as Xiaojun’s eyes followed the motion. That solidified it in his mind more than his student’s outward confession even had: he wanted this. 

Kun reached his hands up and grasped Xiaojun’s shoulders firmly before rolling them over, the younger landing with a small huff on the sleeping bag that lay discarded on the floor next to them. Xiaojun’s eyes widened as their positions switched, and Kun watched him bite his lower lip in anticipation. Their gazes met, both searching for the next step. Kun spoke first,

“What do you want, baby?”

It was Xiaojun’s turn to shiver, the pet name making him squirm slightly under Kun’s firm hold. But his eyes didn’t leave the elder’s when he responded in a confident tone,

“I want you to touch me.”

Kun wasn’t sure if it was the weird circumstances that put them in this situation, the fact that they had both woken up, or just his overwhelming desire that drove him to his next statement instead of just giving in to the gorgeous man beneath him.

“Now, is that a polite way to address your teacher?” He regretted it as soon as the cringe-worthy words were out of his mouth. It sounded like the dialogue from one of the yaoi novels he read on his laptop in the darkness of his bedroom, not like something two consenting adults should say to each other. He was about to apologize and try to recover from the awkward situation when Xiaojun responded again, his voice almost a whisper. 

“Please touch me, sir.” It shouldn’t have worked. It should not have tugged at Kun’s caregiver heartstrings or have made him fall even harder for the man lying on the floor of his office, caged by Kun’s arms. And it _ definitely _ should not have gone straight to his groin, heating his body from the inside out. Kun reached a hand between them and cupped the side of Xiaojun’s jaw, reveling in how he leaned into the touch. He trailed his fingers down his neck and traced lightly over the Adam's apple there, exhaling as Xiaojun gulped at the sensation. Then Kun dragged his hand over the other man’s chest, rucking the material of his shirt up over his abdomen and wrapping his fingers around the curve of his narrow waist and sharp hip bone. 

“God, you’re beautiful,” Kun whispered as he shifted his weight to be resting on his side, staring at the completely unblemished skin of his partner’s torso. Xiaojun’s eyes fell closed as Kun flattened his palm across the thin strip of skin above his underwear, “I want to make you fall apart.” Xiaojun exhaled at the statement. 

“You already have-” he started before cutting himself off with a sharp inhale as Kun pushed his fingers beneath the waistband of his underwear. “_Please,_ touch me.” When the request came out as more of a whine, Kun couldn’t resist. He pushed the waistband down just below Xiaojun’s dick, the tight elastic squeezing his upper thighs together. Then, just when he was about to lift his fingers to his mouth to wet them, an idea crossed his mind. He grabbed Xiaojun’s hand instead, pressing a kiss to the pad of his middle finger before wrapping his lips around the younger’s first two fingers and sucking. Xiaojun moaned as he watched the older man push them all the way down to the knuckles before pulling off just to lick the webbing between each finger, eyes never leaving his face as he worked. Finally, Kun pushed the two fingers back in his mouth, pushing more spit to cover the Xiaojun’s entire palm, before drawing it down to his own sex. He wrapped Xiaojun’s hand around his rapidly hardening dick, controlling the younger’s movements as he guided him up and down at an achingly slow pace. Xiaojun hummed at the sensation of losing control even as he was touching himself. When Kun was satisfied with his hardness, he began to work faster, now pumping the younger’s hand without mercy. Xiaojun tossed his head back, hum turning into a moan as his mouth fell open. Kun’s commanding tone washed over him as he sped up the pace even more. 

“Okay baby, I need to keep going like this for me. Can you do that?” Xiaojun could barely nod as he gripped himself harder, wanting nothing but to finish soon. He barely noticed when Kun’s hand left his, working on autopilot now to bring himself over the edge. When Kun’s thumb brushed the sensitive slit at the head of his cock, he whined loudly, begging for more. When Kun reached between his thighs, straining against the band of his underwear, and pressed two fingers against the tight rim of his hole, he came undone completely, screaming the older man’s name as he surged past his climax. 

It took thirty minutes for Xiaojun to realize he had never returned the favor, post-orgasmic bliss slipping into exhaustion as they cuddled in the cleaner of the two sleeping bags, talking in hushed voices about nothing in particular and everything at once. 

\--

“Helloooo? Earth to Kun?” Sicheng was looking at him with a teasing smile. “Were you thinking about _ Xiao _ again?” Kun’s face flushed as his friend continued. “He didn’t say you did anything wrong. He probably was just caught off guard by the new swing in your step. I know I was.” 

That surprised Kun. He knew that in class he acted slightly differently now, and was more inclined to peacock about as he showed off how much he knew about the subject and how much he cared about the students’ learning. But outside of class? Kun didn’t think he was doing anything differently. _ Shit. _

Sicheng stood up to stop him, but it was too late. Kun was resolute in his decision, no matter how much it hurt to think about. The past week of playful glances and one or two secret kisses in the corner of his office had been the most fun he’d had in a _ long _ time. But, for Xiaojun’s sake, he had to pull back. The only thing worse than getting in trouble for dating a student was imagining his student getting in trouble for the same thing. He was being rude and irresponsible. Putting his emotions and _ stupid _ immature hormonal feelings for this man first, he was going to get them both in serious trouble. He needed to get out, to protect this man. Kun needed to do something before Xiaojun got hurt. 

Kun pushed through the door to the coffee shop, causing the tiny bell that rang when it was open to clang louder than normal, and headed for his apartment.


	10. Chapter 10

The next few weeks after Xiaojun’s fateful visit to office hours passed in a blur. Everything that happened after he had climbed on top of his TA and realized that his feelings weren’t one-sided seemed to fade into the background, Xiaojun’s energy much more focused on learning as much as he could about the man with auburn hair and honey eyes. 

He noticed the shift in Kun’s overall attitude. Where he had been inspiring in the classroom before, he now seemed to shine  _ brighter _ , fired up about the course topics like a nerdy evangelical pastor. It was adorable to watch. Xiaojun might be a little biased, but he saw the other students in the class react positively as well, body language opening up and taking more risks to answer questions they wouldn’t have felt comfortable doing before. When they made eye contact the first time after their night in lockdown, Xiaojun expected an awkward tension. But instead, as he entered the classroom right before Kun shut the door to begin class, he was met with warmth and unfettered joy. It was contagious. Since that moment, Xiaojun took it upon himself to make eye contact with his TA as much as possible, finding every excuse to share a glance across the room and, one time, even a wink as Kun handed back a quiz from the week before. After class, Xiaojun stayed after the room emptied, following Kun into the office to “get some clarity about the course material.” No one seemed to question the act, since Kun was, after all, the TA, and Xiaojun had been a teacher’s pet since before he decided he wanted the teacher to shove him against the wall and kiss him silly. Which is just what they did, knocking the encyclopedias from their haphazard stacks as soon as Kun could lock the door behind them. Their short time sneaking around had been some of the most fun Xiaojun had during his college career. He loved meeting up after class, getting takeout to bring up to Kun’s small apartment, and pretending to the rest of the world (except for Yangyang and Hendery, of course) that there was nothing going on. The added hiding and clandestine flirting made the whole situation feel like part of one of the soapy dramas Xiaojun’s mom used to make him watch as a kid, and he finally felt like he understood the intrigue. 

So why was Kun ignoring him now? It had been two days, and Xiaojun hadn’t received a single text from him. Initially, he had blamed it on the other’s heavy workload. It was almost the end of the semester, and Xiaojun had witnessed firsthand the extremely unfair amount of grading and busywork Kun was asked to do by their professor on top of the classes he was attending himself. Xiaojun assumed the older man had just been caught up in his work and not even realized he was ignoring Xiaojun. At least, he had hoped that was the case. He didn’t want to think Kun had gotten bored of him, remembered who he was, and realized Xiaojun was too immature for someone as sophisticated as Kun. Almost as soon as he had it, Xiaojun pushed that thought to the back of his mind. He had seen Kun when he wasn’t in front of a classroom; when he didn’t have to be  _ on stage _ . He knew that, at home, the other man wore old sweatpants just as ratty as Xiaojun’s and he kept a box of magic tricks in his closet (“It wasn’t just me hiding in there!” the older man had joked when Xiaojun first convinced him to pull it out). Sure, Kun could play the part of a well-adjusted adult a bit better than Xiaojun could, but they were both just as goofy and giggly as one another when they were alone in Kun’s living room. In his bedroom, the giggles turned to sighs and the goofiness was gone, replaced with a quiet confidence that made Xiaojun’s insides twist and body heat up. He remembered the first time they had sex, properly, and he had learned that his dirty thoughts were nothing compared to Kun’s active imagination. The first time Xiaojun whimpered softly, Kun had scolded him and used a firm grip on his jaw to get him to open his mouth.

“I want to hear you, baby.” His voice was barely louder than a growl as his warm breath tickled the shell of his ear. Xiaojun remembered being very grateful Kun had no roommates after that.

So yeah. Xiaojun was pretty sure he had done nothing to upset the other man. Besides, the semester was ending for him, too. Studying for finals and writing his semester papers had kept him just as busy as Kun was. 

He walked into Thursday night’s discussion section ready to make his appearance known and remind Kun what he had been missing. His blonde hair was styled just enough so that it fell into his eyes slightly, and when he made his usual eye contact with his TA he had to use his hand to brush the soft strands out of the way. But before he could even raise his hands to show off his forehead, Kun averted his eyes. In fact, it seemed like he was purposefully avoiding Xiaojun, looking at anything, or anyone, but him as he introduced the day’s discussion and began to lecture. It didn’t feel right, and Xiaojun could tell he wasn’t the only one who noticed. Other students in the class seemed less interested than usual, checking their phones more often or turning to online shopping on their laptop instead of taking notes on what Kun had to say. One student even yawned, staring right at the TA as he did so. Xiaojun had to stop his petty side from rearing its ugly head and laughing at the scene as Kun stopped, mid-sentence, to stare at the obviously disinterested student. He was ever the professional and still made it through the lesson, but it was clear he was off his game. After three more attempts at making eye contact with Kun, Xiaojun decided it was a lost cause. The second the other man finished his lesson Xiaojun was already standing up and threading through the classroom to make it out of the door. 

He felt his heart beating painfully strong in his chest as he stumbled past the lobby door and into the cold air outside. His mind, however, was unusually blank.  _ Kun.  _ He kept thinking.  _ Why? What did I do? _ He couldn’t come up with any answers as he trudged down the icy sidewalk back across campus. Xiaojun felt his phone vibrate and hoped against hope that Kun had changed his mind and decided to explain himself. Instead, the message was from Yangyang:

“Bro it’s chillyyyy tonight XD let’s get hot chocolate when you’re done with class!!” Xiaojun noticed before he could even finish reading the text in their group chat that Hendery had already reacted to the message with a heart. He didn’t want to weigh his friends down with his feelings, but it couldn’t hurt to go see them in the warmth of their favorite coffee shop for a few hours. He responded with, “omw” before pulling the collar of his jacket over his chin and pushing forward. 

When he entered the coffee shop, Xiaojun was surprised to see he was the only one there. He expected to beat his friends, who were coming from the other direction, but he didn’t expect it to be this empty. It wasn’t that late in the evening, where were the other regulars? Wasn’t the owner’s daughter supposed to be working tonight? Come to think of it, where was the owner himself? Xiaojun huffed as he peeled off the layers blocking his skin from the elements and dropped his backpack on their lumpy couch. He looked up when he heard the little bell above the door ring. 

It was Kun. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe I left this unresolved for so long... I'm so sorry XiaoKun I love you both to the bottom of my heart ❤️
> 
> Thank you to anyone who's been keeping up with this story, your patience knows no limit!~


	11. Chapter 11

Kun was staring at his phone as he unwound the scarf from his neck, heading towards the front counter without looking up. When he reached the counter and finally glanced up, Xiaojun watched as the same questioning thought process that Xiaojun had just gone through crossed his features. Kun scanned the room, obviously also looking for other occupants. When his eyes landed on his student, they froze. Xiaojun noticed his eyes were a little red, the pink tinge to his eyelids making their amber color stand out more. Had he been crying? The cold wind had a way of blistering everyone’s skin even on the shortest of walks. Kun’s mouth dropped open silently, then resolutely lifted back into a firm line. 

“Xiaojun, I-” He started to speak, voice wavering slightly, but was cut off by the bell above the door, ringing rapidly in quick succession as a large group of students entered the small shop. Xiaojun ripped his eyes away from Kun to see Hendery and Yangyang, along with Ten, the boy Hendery had an infamous crush on, and two other people he had never seen before. 

He and Kun both spoke at the same time. 

“What are you doing here?” Kun said incredulously. 

“Who are these guys?” Xiaojun’s tone carried the same sentiment. The man standing next to Ten, who was tall and thin with defined, sharp features, responded first. 

“It was time for an intervention.” He said with just the faintest hint of a smile. His deep voice didn’t match the delicate line of his jaw. 

‘A… what?! Sicheng, how do you even know these people?” Kun’s face was shifting from shock to something akin to embarrassment. Ah, so this was the famous Sicheng. Xiaojun recognized the name from the countless times Kun had answered the phone with it, a smile gracing his lips before he said he was busy and would call him back later. Xiaojun remembered feeling special that Kun was ignoring his friends to hang out with him. Not anymore. 

“Xiaojun, how many times do I have to tell you? Every gay person knows each other,” Yangyang chimed in, rolling his eyes playfully, “Besides, this school isn’t that big.”

Hendery chuckled before grabbing Ten’s hand and adding, “He’s right! It turns out Ten is taking grad classes in the dance department. Isn’t that cool? He’s talented enough that he jumped to the  _ graduate level, _ ” He turned to face the lithe man next to him, attention now solely in his direction. “You’re so impressive, babe.” Giggling at the compliment, Ten reached up his free hand and gently turned Hendery’s face back to the rest of the group before speaking.

“Thank you, honey,” his elegant features held warmth and something more teasing as he spoke. 

“I take dance classes with Lucas,” Ten tipped his head toward the only man in the group who hadn’t spoken, who immediately broke into a smile that could melt ice caps. 

“He lives with Sicheng. We were gossiping in class the other day about this  _ adorable _ couple who were being completely oblivious and then realized we were talking about the  _ same _ two people! Isn’t that hilarious?” He chuckled a little and Hendery laughed alongside him.

Xiaojun did not think it was hilarious. Xiaojun thought they had to be kidding. He and Kun weren’t a couple. Xiaojun was just a lovestruck idiot who had done the most cliche thing in the world and fallen for his professor. He had thought himself unique and special, because in his case, his teacher liked him back for something other than some gross power play. But he was wrong. 

Surprisingly, it was Yangyang who saw the hurt cross his face first. 

“Oh my god, Jun, no!” He scurried to where his friend was standing and wrapped his arms around Xiaojun’s shoulders, grabbing him tightly.

“I don’t know what I did wrong,” Xiaojun muttered into Yangyang’s shoulder, voice wobbly. His roommate’s arms only wrapped tighter. 

\---

Kun was at a loss. 

All he wanted to do was help Xiaojun, free him from whatever stupid drama the university would come up with if they were caught together. Sure, it wasn’t technically illegal to date your students, but it was certainly frowned upon, and usually, it was the undergraduates who had to bear the brunt of the system if it crashed down on them. But he hadn’t expected it to hurt so much. Not talking to Xiaojun, even for a few days, had felt like he was missing something. Where he was fine before, living on his own, researching on his own, and hanging out with his few close friends, he hadn’t recognized the part of his life that had been absent until Xiaojun slipped in to make up for lost time. Now he craved it. 

He was a mess in class today, he could tell. He didn’t have anyone’s attention, and who could blame them? He didn’t care about what he was teaching. He had to use all of his reserve strength to blatantly ignore the only person he wanted to see. He had cried on the way back from class, only stopping by the coffee shop in hopes of warming up so the wetness wouldn’t freeze on his eyelashes. He felt stupid. 

Sicheng agreed. 

“What is wrong with you?” His best friend hissed in his ear when Yangyang and Hendery took Xiaojun over to their usual spot to sit by the fire, the rest of the group following behind. “I knew you had something going on in your head, but why would you mess with the very thing that was making you better?”

Kun snorted at that. Better? He knew he was feeling pretty down, but didn’t know it had gotten that bad. 

“It’s like I told you, Sicheng,” He responded in a low voice, fighting to get the words out through gritted teeth, “It’s dangerous. Being with me will only make things worse for him.”

“Worse than this?” 

Kun looked up at that, finally allowing himself to take in Xiaojun’s figure as he had been desperate to do all evening. The other man was curled up on the couch now, looking smaller than Kun had ever seen him. But his expression was hard, eyes staring at nothing in front of him as the others tried to comfort him. Xiaojun was strong, Kun knew, and would survive perfectly fine if Kun left and didn’t talk to him ever again. But he didn’t deserve to be unhappy. Kun could see it in the slight twitch of an eyebrow, and in the way his hand gripped Yangyang’s tightly as he sat perfectly still. Kun wanted to rush to him, to hold him, wanted to be the one comforting him instead of causing him more pain. 

“The only way you can make things worse is by  _ not _ letting yourself feel things, Kun. You aren’t yourself when you’re hiding your feelings.” The hard edge of Sicheng’s voice was softer now. “Believe it or not, you deserve happiness too.”

Kun broke. The tears he had been trying to contain since he entered the coffee shop were back, making his face redden as he grabbed Sicheng by the waist to pull him into a hug. 

“I’m so stupid! How could I think that I would know what’s best for Xiaojun when I’m no more of an adult than he is. I’m such an idiot!” The last word had come out more like a yell than Kun had intended, and he pushed himself off of his friend to see if anyone had noticed. 

They had. When he turned around, everyone in the room was frozen in place, staring at the man who had just announced to the room that he was a complete imbecile like he was, well, an imbecile.

Xiaojun got up first, walking all the way up to Kun and stopping just before their faces touched, just inches away from him. Kun could feel his breath on his face as he spoke. 

“You’re right,” Xiaojun said, reaching a hand up to wipe away the tear that streaked down Kun’s cheek before cupping the side of his face. “You’re a total idiot.”

Kun wanted to protest, but Xiaojun was kissing him before he had the chance. 

\---

Kun was an idiot. But he was Xiaojun’s idiot. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We did it!!! I called this the Winter WayV fic no one asked for and now it's almost winter here good lord... Thank you again for reading this story, it meant a lot to me and your comments are what kept me adding to it even as 2020 happened. 
> 
> I hope you have a great day/evening/night wherever you are and stan Weishen V 😉

**Author's Note:**

> The Winter WayV fic no one asked for!!
> 
> Please comment to let me know what you think or if you have any astronomy facts I can use to help Kun sound like the brilliant genius we all know him to be 🤓💕


End file.
